Water vapor collecting and condensing apparatus



Och 1968 M H. FELDMAN ET AL 3,408,260

WATER VAPOR COLLECTING AND CONDENSING APPARATUs Filed Aug. 1, 1966 TRANSPARENT SHEET CONDENSATE TRQUGH INFLATABLE BALL INFLATABLE RING- SHAPED TUBE INVENTOR. MARSHALL H. FELDMAN FIG.2

HAR RY W. FELDMAN &4 d

Texas United States Patent 3,408,260 WATER VAPOR COLLECTING AND CONDENSING APPARATUS Marshall H. Feldman, P.O. Box 922, Twenty Nine Palms,

Calif. 92277, and Harry W. Feldman, 16016 Winterbrook Drive, Los Gatos, Calif. 95030 Filed Aug. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 569,512 1 Claim. (Cl. 202-83) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for condensing water vapor rising from surfaces of the earth, including a thin flexible sheet of nonporous material that may be folded into a small package, a thin flexible tube of flexible material attached to the sheet around the edges thereof to unfold the sheet and expand it to its full area when the tube is inflated, an inflatable member attached to the center under side of the sheet raising the central part of the sheet above the other parts thereof. A trough of nonporous flexible material opening upward adjacent the inside of the tube to collect water running down the underside of the sheet.

This invention relates to apparatus for capturing water vapor, condensing same and recovering the condensate as potable water.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for use by shipwrecked persons on the ocean for capturing water vapor, condensing same and using the condensate as potable water.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved survival device which may be used by shipwrecked or otherwise stranded persons for obtaining potable water from the water vapor existing over the surface of the ocean.

Another object of this invention is to prOVide a survival device made of plastic which is adapted to be inflated and positioned either over salt or brackish water or desert areas for capturing Water vapor emanating from such surfaces and condensing the Water vapor to use for drinking water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a semipermanent water supplying device comprising a thin sheet of nonporous material having means such as porous plastic, balsa wood, hollow steel, and the like, supporting the center raised with respect to the outer portion so that water condensing on the underside, of said sheet, flows to the outer parts thereof and having means at said outer sides for collecting the condensed water to use as potable water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible water supplying device for use in survival kits, said device comprising a hollow inflatable doughnutshaped outer member which, when inflated, expands a tent-like member of plastic thereover, and a central ballshaped member which, when inflated, is adapted to raise the central part of the tent-like member whereby water vapor rising under the tent-like member and condensing on the under surface thereof is adapted to trickle down to a trough formed around the inside of the ring-shaped outer support.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings, in which briefly:

, FIG.1 is a plan view of an embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

3,498,260 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 Referring to the drawing in detail, reference numeral 10 designated a transparent thin plastic sheet which is preferably circular in configuration although it may, of course, be of other configurations such as square, rec tangular, oblong, etc. The circumference 11 of the plastic sheet 10 is attached to the doughnut-shaped inflatable member 12 by suitable plastic cements. The tube 12 may be made of light material such as porous plastic, hollow steel, balsa wood, and the like, if desired. On the other hand, when the tube 12 is inflatable, it is also preferably made of nonporous flexible plastic, rubber or the like, and this member is provided with an air valve 12a such as is conventionally attached to automobile tires so that the tube 12 may be inflated from a suitable cartridge of compressed gas whereby it will assume its doughnutshaped configuration and expand the sheet-like member 10 into a tent-like shape with an apex 13 which is positioned over the ball member 14, which is also of non porous flexible plastic, rubber or the like. The apex portion 13 of the sheet 10 is attached by suitable cements, adhesives or the like to the top of the ball 14. Ball 14 is also provided with a conventional air valve 14a similar to the air valve 12a so that the ball may be inflated from a cartridge of compressed gas. After the ball 14 is inflated it supports the central part of the sheet 10 in a raised position, as shown in the drawing, over the surface 15 which may be the surface of a brackish lake or salt water such as the ocean. On the other hand, the surface 15 may be sandy soil such as the surface of a desert.

The ball 14 and tube 12 also may be made of porous plastic, hollow steel, balsa wood, and the like, in cases where this ball and outer ring is not to be inflated.

A strip 16 also of plastic or similar material forms a trough around the upper inside area of the tube 12. The inside edge of this strip is attached around the inside of the ring-shaped member 12 with suitable adhesive cement or the like, so that this strip is attached to the tube 12 in waterproof fashion. The trough formed by the strip 16 is held open at the top by the spacers 17 and the supporting cords 18 which are attached to the free edge and to the underside of the sheet, as shown in the drawing. After the tube 12 is inflated, the trough inside of the tube 12 is opened upward to receive water running down the inside surface of the sheet 10. Water vapor rising from the surface 15 and proceeding to the underside of the sheet 10 condenses on this underside and the condensate trickles down from this underside to the trough. The water collected in the trough may be removed therefrom in various ways, for example, a slit may be provided in the sheet 10 through which the person desiring the Water may reach in with a suitable cup or receptacle to scoop up some of the water, or the water may be retrieved by applying suction to the tube 18 which is attached to the bottom of the trough.

Sheet 10 is provided with reinforcing members 19 which may be heat-sealed to the sheet or otherwise attached thereto. These members extend radially from the apex 13 to the circumference of the sheet. Stabilizing lines 20 are provided between the ball 14 and the inner side of the tube 12 preferably on the same side as the tube 18' which is to be used for withdrawing water from the trough.

This device may be made so that it is semi-permanent and in such instances the sheet 10 may be made of glass or similar thin sheet material. Also in such cases the tube 12 and ball 14 may be replaced by rigid or semi-rigid members that are adapted to float on water.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form s v l 3 shown so that its scope should be limited only by the proper scope of the claim appended hereto.

What we claim is: v

1. An apparatus forvcondensing water vapor rising from surfaces of the earth, including oceans, brackish water bodies, desert areas and the like, the combination comprising a thin sheet of nonporous material that is flexible and may be folded into a small package, a thin inflatable doughnut-shaped tube of flexible material attached to said sheet around the edges thereof, an air valve attached to said tube whereby said tube may -be inflated to a predetermined pressure, said sheet being adapted to be unfolded and expanded to its full area when said tube is inflated, an inflatable ball member of a diameter in excess of the diametral cross-section of the inflated doughnut-shaped tube attached to the center underside of said sheet, said inflatable ball member when inflated raising the central part of said sheet above the doughnut-shaped tube so that water vapor rising beneath the sheet and condensing on the underside of said sheet flows outward on saidunderside toward said inflated tube, and means comprising a strip attached to the inside V of said tube under said sheet collecting the condensate running down said sheet to said tube, said strip means on the inside of said tube comprising a trough of nonporous flexible material opening upward and positioned to receive condensate flowing down the underside of said sheet. i 1

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,412,466 12/1946 Miller 202-234 2,445,350 7/1948 Ginnings '202-172 X 2,455,834 12/1948 Ushakofl' 202-234 2,455,835 12/1948 Ushakoff 202-234 2,820,744 1/ 1958 Lighter 202-234 2,848,389 8/ 1958 Bjorksten 202-234 3,337,418 8/1967 Halacy 202-83 3,357,898 12/ 1967 Novakovich 202-83 3,351,536 11/1967 Fox 202-234 X 20 NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner.

F. E. DRUMMOND, Assistant Examiner. 

